International students struggling with tuition, job searches

Rising tuition at the University of Saskatchewan is proving to be a barrier to international students’ education now more than ever.

David Ogunkanmi, international student representative on the University Students’ Council, said that high tuition fees are a top concern for students. He said that all students are affected by tuition and fee increases.

“It is well known that student debt is high and creates an ongoing concern, well after graduation, for anyone with loans (either personal or through banks),” he wrote in an email to the Sheaf.

Yashwanthan Manivannan has attended the U of S since 2011 and said international students have another reason to worry: they pay 2.6 times the amount of tuition that a Canadian student pays.

The high tuition rates bring no additional services and instead come with pressure and stress, Manivannan said.

“If tuition keeps increasing we are forced to work more, which affects our academics,” Manivannan said.

Maximillian Krimm, another international student, agrees that the amount of tuition that they pay is a prominent issue.

“I think the biggest issue that I see is the amount of tuition we pay and what we receive in return,” Krimm said.

Based from his own experience, Krimm believes that international students do not receive enough encouragement to attend the U of S. When he emailed various admission offices, he said it often took days for him to receive a reply and that they were often brief and unspecific.

“It just felt like the university was not interested in me,” Krimm said.

Although international students make the U of S a more globalized campus, Krimm said international students often have issues with not fitting in. Though they may come for the educational opportunities, international students bring a cultural personality to the campus.

Krimm said if students go back to their home countries and create change or are successful, that the reputation of the U of S will increase. However, he said high tuition could easily undermine the university’s prestige.

To address issues of international students’ interest in the U of S, Krimm suggests that more representatives should be sent out to recruit students. He said the additional expense would be worth it because he would not have known about the U of S had he not had internet access

Ogunkanmi suggests a new method for dealing with tuition that would be beneficial to all students: setting a fee for a distinct period of time in which the student could be able to complete their degree — such as five years.

“As long as the student is able to complete their degree within the average time, they would know the tuition and fees they would be paying and could budget and plan accordingly,” he said, adding that this could be beneficial for both domestic and international students.

On-campus employment could also be more student-centered, Ogunkanmi said. He suggests an increase to students’ wages in order to reflect their increasing fees. If jobs cannot be provided at the U of S, Ogunkanmi would like to see opportunities for meaningful employment be made available elsewhere. Those who are new to Canada — or Saskatoon — could benefit from additional resources to help find part-time work.

Yet again, the University of Saskatchewan has announced that they are raising tuition for all undergraduate

Good Idea

Foreign Student fees across the country now reflect the full cost of the education provided so that Canadian taxpayers are not subsidizing them with their tax dollars. Canadian students are subsidized significantly by the various government levels to grant them their deserved education. The tariffs for foreign students are set based on full cost recovery – their tuitions are easily 3-5 times what they pay here, at American universities, some of which specialize in wealthy foreign students as a mission statement. That being said, we should explore new ways to assist the students that choose to study here, to ensure that they get the education they have paid for. A five year guarantee is a valid idea!

Olaniyi Oluwadamilare

Bravo!!! this is awesome, counting on you ogunkanmi, i know you can do more!!!

Campus Briefs

By Tanner Bayne

Spotlight on tuition increases at the U of S

On April 4, the University of Saskatchewan Board of Governors announced the tuition rates for the 2018-19 academic year. On average, students at the U of S will be paying 4.8 per cent more than they did in the 2017-18 academic year.

At the U of S, tuition is set based on three considerations: comparisons to the tuition levels of other U15 universities, the perceived quality of education, and affordability and accessibility. With the tuition announcement, the Board of Governors released an information document outlining the tuition increases by college. The tuition hikes for direct-entry colleges are as follows:

Agriculture and Bioresources

4.8 per cent increase, from $6,119 to $6,413.

Arts and Science

4.7 per cent increase, from $6,751 to $7,065.

Edwards School of Business

3.3 per cent increase, from $7,406 to $7,647.

Engineering

4.0 per cent increase, from $8,172 to $8,500.

Kinesiology

4.4 per cent increase, from $6,100 to $6,371.

In a media release following the Board of Governors’ tuition announcement, 2017-18 USSU vice-president operations and finance Deena Kapacila stated that the USSU is pleased with the tuition dialogue between the U of S administration and the USSU. However, Kapacila doesn’t believe that the hikes reflect the economic realities of students, and in her statement, she called on the provincial government for increased financial assistance.

“With the understanding that the cost associated with post-secondary education is a shared responsibility, we are asking the province of Saskatchewan to adequately fund our post-secondary institutions and work with the U of S to combat the declining student experience referenced in the Maclean’s U15 rankings,” Kapacila said. “Even if a student is lucky enough to find a well-paying job, working all summer barely covers the cost of one term.”